mountlaurelpremiershipfandomcom-20200214-history
Andrew Mantzas
Andrew Mantzas(born February 10, 1989) was a longtime Mount Laurel Premiership and Buttsex United striker, leader and executive. In early 2008, BSU Captain Cory Sternin recruited Mantzas to play for his team in the new Mount Laurel Premiership. Mantzas and Sternin knew each other from the Lenape track team. Mantzas accepted and played in BSU's inaugural game at Hartford City FC at Elbo Lane. Mantzas was a backup striker in that game, not in the BSU starting lineup, but scored a goal in BSU's 5-0 win. As the season went on, Mantzas supplanted Bryan Burroughs not only as the secondary striker alongside Joe Beluch, but also as Ass. Captain, becoming Sternin's most trusted advisor. Mantzas won an Evans Cup with BSU in 2008, scoring two goals in the 8-2 win over Parkway in the final. In 2009, Mantzas became Deputy Commissioner of the league, assisting co-commissioners David Forster and Ryan Gray, mostly with scheduling and statkeeping. Mantzas continued to produce at a good clip on the field in 2009, but BSU's fortunes turned. As the league's skill level continued to rise, and Mantzas started to get further out of shape, his on-field role diminished as time went by, scoring only one goal in 2010, and only playing sparingly thereafter. Nonetheless, he continued to stand out off the field, and for some teams became their preferred BSU contact over the controversial Sternin. Mantzas served as the BSU Captain on three occasions. Their 2010 playoff loss to Hartford City(Sternin was present, but only able to coach due to injury), and twice in 2011, both wins with Sternin absent. In the latter games, Mantzas was the on-field Captain, but BSU Ass. Coach Zak Sternin(Cory's younger brother) served as coach. In 2012, Sternin promoted Mantzas to the new role of "Ass. to the Captain", and at the league level replaced Gray after he resigned, making Mantzas the co-commissioner with Forster for the final season. Mantzas did not start in the 2012 Evans Cup Final against FC Bende, but played a few minutes late in the match, subbing himself out after getting hit in the balls by a bouncing ball, ending his playing career. With Forster not attending the final, Mantzas presented Bende with the Evans Cup in his capacity as commissioner. Mantzas and Forster folded the league shortly thereafter with the approval of the league's Captains. TRIVIA As a player, Mantzas played almost exclusively as a striker, possessing a hard, accurate shot, good vision and playmaking abilities, using knowledge of the game to sneak into good scoring positions. However, he was slow, a poor dribbler and a weak defender, and especially later on had limited endurance. He occasionally played midfield in early 2008, and once appeared as a defender in 2009. Wore #32 as it was his favorite number. Under BSU team policy in which players wore nicknames on their uniforms, Mantzas was known as "Champ". Mantzas refereed several of the MLP's biggest matches, including Parkway's emotional Week 10 win over AC Hillside with a playoff spot on the line, the 2010 Evans Cup Final and the 2011 Evans Cup Final. He was also the keeper of the Virtual Evans Cup. Of Greek and Cypriot heritage. When BSU was restocked with Cherry Hill players in 2010, the Cherry Hill contingent called him Zeus. After BSU and the league itself folded in 2012, Mantzas graduated from Rowan University along with BSU Captain Cory Sternin in 2013. Today, Mantzas is a writer for AGONAsport.com, an English-language website covering Greek and Cypriot sports. Coincidentally, Mantzas's chief duties as Ass. Captain and later Ass. to the Captain were to write BSU's game recaps and other communications. For BSU wins he would begin the recap with "GLORY GLORY BUTT UNITED!" which became the team's rallying cry. Mantzas and Sternin also co-wrote a theme song of the same name in anticipation of the 2008 Evans Cup Final. During his BSU playing days, he drove a black Volkswagen, and often would arrive to games doing rally slides if the game was held at a venue with a dirt parking lot. Other rituals he had were always drinking purple Gatorade, warming up not by running, but usually standing in one spot practicing shooting and passing. If sidelined, he would kick the ball into a small net, referring to it as his bullpen. In later years, as the soccer playing was generally left up to better players, Mantzas and Sternin would stand together coaching the team. Most of Mantzas's goals were low, hard shots inside the near post. He never scored on a header, and only ever had one volley. He was also a mediocre penalty taker, scoring two penalties, but missing another and having another saved. Though Nat Siegel and Cory Sternin were the best recruiters in BSU history, Mantzas did manage to recruit important players like Daniel Goldberg, Brett Roller and Matt Lenhoff. His younger brother Spyro Mantzas also played for BSU from 2009-2012, but was NOT a member of BSU's 2008 championship team.